OC MEN'S BASKETBALL: Rangers hold off Hawks, win tourney

Point guard Mikael Moore leads the Rangers to a tourney title with 22 points and 6 assists and earns MVP honors.

Sun Staff

WALLA WALLA -- The high-flying Olympic College men's basketball team encountered a few patches of turbulence this weekend at the Walla Walla Crossover Tournament.

The prolific Rangers have toyed with most of their opponents in the early going, but found themselves in a couple of dogfights in Walla Walla.

After pulling out an 89-88 win over Walla Walla Saturday, OC faced a championship game showdown against unbeaten Columbia Basin. The Rangers exploded to a 28-point second-half lead Sunday, then endured a furious Hawks' rally to escape with a 101-97 win.

Columbia Basin (9-1) sliced the gap to four with about 90 seconds left, but couldn't get closer. The Rangers (9-0) clinched the win by converting 7-8 free throws.

Mikael Moore, who made 5-6 foul shots down the stretch, finished with 22 points, 6 assists and the tourney's MVP trophy. The Rangers' 6-foot-2 point guard scored 42 points and collected 15 assists in the final two games.

For Moore, a freshman who redshirted at Loyola Marymount last year, it's MVP award No. 2 of the season. He took top honors after OC won the Grays Harbor tourney at the end of November.

Former North Mason star Billy Landram, who also sank a pair of clutch free throws in the final seconds, had 21 points and 13 rebounds and was named to the all-tourney team. Scott Hamre added 19 points for Olympic.

Olympic coach Barry Janusch praised the play of Art Thomas, the Rangers' 6-2 forward from Port Arthur, Texas. Thomas battled the larger Thompson inside and produced 10 points, five rebounds and three blocked shots.

Janusch also said reserve point guard Peter Petrov did a nice job spelling Moore.

"They have a really good inside-outside game," Janusch said of the Hawks. "They did a heckuva job to get back in the game. We got a bit complacent and then got into a little bit of foul trouble and tried to save some people.

"We're kind of tired; we were really fortunate to hang on at the end and win this thing. There were some very good teams over here."

The weary Rangers will get little immediate rest. They play at Green River Tuesday.

"We're pretty banged up," Janusch said. "Matt Brien needs a few stitches over an eye and also reinjured a thumb that's been giving him trouble."

Janusch said the Rangers have answered his questions about their mental toughness.

"We're a little bit down just because of the way we let 'em back in the game; it wasn't real pretty," he said. "We really have learned a lot about ourselves at this tournament. We had to manufacture some wins. The guys are growing up."

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